Grana Pizza Cafe

Formerly Ciro’s Pizza Cafe, but maintained the same ownership since 2011 through the name change to Grana. Evidently, they have ties to Joe & Pat’s on Staten Island, with similar-looking old school, thin crust style pies, but worlds apart in taste. Also very aesthetically similar to L’Arte Della Pizza in Brooklyn, and about on par taste-wise as well. The sauce consists of very sweet crushed red tomatoes but lacks zest & tang, actually coming off rather tart, with the sweetness being neutralized by the sprinkled parmigiana. The fresh mozzarella is thinly sliced, mildly creamy with a decently melty consistency but a little splotchy, lacking in some areas of the pie. The dough is fairly firm and floury, not really crispy, more hardened than crunchy, and seemingly undercooked but it’s not, there’s just no char. The crust is reasonably crispy, thin & light, quite possibly the best part of the pie. I’m not sure what it is, but the overall taste just seems off; I feel like it should be more delicious than it is. Perhaps the sauce needs a bit more spice and the dusting of Parmesan cheese should be optional. It’s still a pretty good pie, with a terrific style that just kind of slightly misses the mark. Uniquely flavored, it’s pizza that’s worth a try but I can’t say it’s a travel pie of more than 30 minutes.